The dawn of a new Dracula is imminent. Director André Øvredal has been tasked with bringing one of the horror genres most recognizable characters to life on the big screen in a fresh, new way, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter sets sail in cinemas this Friday. Portraying the Transylvanian Count this time for Universal Pictures is the Spanish-born Javier Botet. And Botet is no stranger to starring in scary movies.

Most notably, Botet portrayed the titular villain in Slender Man. However, he’s also appeared in a host of other horror titles, including both the 2017 film adaptation of It and the sequel It Chapter Two. In addition, the following titles also appear on his resume: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Insidious: The Last Key, Mama and The Conjuring 2 among others. But stepping into the role for Universal Pictures admittedly unnerved the actor.

Botet said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

"In the beginning I was a bit scared. I was sure it would be wet in the boat, a lot of hours in the night. So, I thought we were going to be cold. But in Malta, in the summer, the weather was perfect to make the movie."

Another fun fact about Botet's career is that he is even credited as playing Nosferatu himself back in 2007 during the Season 4 episode of Los hombres de Paco titled El regreso de Nosferatu.

Related: The Last Voyage of the Demeter: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

Botet and Director André Øvredal Bring Dracula to Life

Javier Botet has big shoes to fill portraying Dracula in The Last Voyage of the Demeter. However, Botet’s impressive 6-foot-7-inch frame will make him an imposing villain just as another Dracula alum, Christopher Lee, benefited from his own tall stature while playing the role for Hammer Film Productions. But Botet will also get an assist from make-up artist Jörn Seifert.

Botet also told Entertainment Weekly:

"It's been one of the best makeups, for sure, I've had. Jörn and his team made amazing designs. We had three, four different looks. In the beginning, it was more skinny, more white, more weak, and then it started getting bigger. After we release the movie, we will show a lot of photos of the procedure, and it will blow the mind of a lot of makeup lovers."

This will be Universal Pictures first dramatic film to feature the horror icon since Luke Evan’s starred in Dracula Untold (2014) nine years ago. Universal most recently featured the character in the horror comedy Renfield, which starred Nicolas Cage as Dracula. However, as this new interpretation of the Count goes, filmmaker André Øvredal provided some insight as to what audiences should expect.

Øvredal said in the same interview:

"One side [is] the old fragile man, who's over 400 years old, who is now suffering from a lack of blood, and he's become almost like an addict. When he regains his powers, through killing the crew one by one, he then becomes the demon. For that version of Dracula, we were going for references in animals, and especially of course in bats, to portray muscle movements and how they used their wings."

The film is based on a portion of the 1897 novel Dracula that was penned by author Bram Stoker. Stoker’s work inspired a number of film adaptations over the years. Among those are 1931’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. However, Botet isn't the first Spanish-born actor to play the Count. While Lugosi and his fellow cast members filmed their version of the horror talkie (sound film), Universal Pictures also simultaneously produced a Spanish-language version starring Carlos Villarías in the lead role.

Previews for The Last Voyage of the Demeter start on Thursday, August 10, and the film opens on Friday. Check out the trailer below: